Castelli Medievali

Riassunto: Si può in generale osservare che la storiografia militare italiana sull’età medievale abbia
riservato pochissima attenzione alla storia delle armi: ed è in particolare possibile affermare che
pochissimi – e per lo più invecchiati – sono gli studi disponibili sulla diffusione e l’uso, soprattutto per il
Trecento, delle armi da fuoco in Italia. Eppure, analizzando in tal senso la documentazione disponibile
per il dominio Visconteo, che fu senz’altro capace di mettere in campo eserciti imponenti, esse appaiono
come una presenza prima crescente e poi costante tra le armi disponibili. Scopo del presente lavoro è
quindi di colmare tale lacuna, proponendo una prima analisi sul problema, e mostrando la necessità di
più ampi e organici lavori, per definire con maggior precisione gli ambiti, le tecniche, e i contesti in cui le
armi da fuoco furono impiegate nell’Italia del XIV secolo.
Parole chiave: Storia Medievale, Storia Militare, Visconti, Armi, Armi da fuoco.
Resumen: La historiografía militar italiana sobre la Edad Media ha dedicado, en general, muy poca
atención a la Historia del armamento y, en particular, a la difusión y el uso de las armas de fuego,
especialmente durante el siglo XIV. Sin embargo, al analizar la documentación disponible para el
dominio de los Visconti (ciudad y ducado de Milán), quienes fueron capaces de movilizar ejércitos
imponentes, se observa que las armas de fuego fueron adquiriendo una importancia creciente entre los
recursos armamentísticos empleados. Con este trabajo se pretende contribuir a completar la citada
laguna historiográfica, proponiendo un primer análisis acerca de los ámbitos, las técnicas y los contextos
en los que se emplearon armas de fuego en la Italia del siglo XIV y, en particular, en los territorios
controlados por la Casa de los Visconti.
Palabras clave: Historia Medieval, Historia Militar, Visconti, Armamento, Armas de fuego.
Abstract: It may be generally observed that the military historiography about medieval Italy has been
paying very little attention to the history of weapons; and it is in particular possible to say that the
studies available on the diffusion and use of fire arms are very few –and mostly old– in Italy, especially
related to the 14th century. Yet, analyzing the documentation available for the Visconti domain, which
was certainly capable of fielding massive armies, they appear as an increasing presence and then
constant, among the various available weapons. The purpose of this work is, therefore, to fill this gap by
proposing an initial analysis of the problem, and showing the need for wider and organic work, to define
more precisely the scope, techniques, and contexts in which firearms were used in Italy during the
fourteenth century.
Although it is true that there are reports of the use of this type of weapons in the Italic Peninsula from
the earliest dates –specifically from 1326 in Florence and from 1327 in the Castle of Gassino– the
exhaustive scrutiny of unpublished sources coming from the visconteo domain made by the authors, has
allowed them to define the conditions in which the reception and diffusion of these important technical
innovations took place in this territory.
Among the results derived from their research, it is possible to verify the use of artillery machines in both
offensive and defensive operations. Nevertheless, the use of artillery was concentrated mainly in the
defense of cities and fortified places only from 1350 on, while the spread of portable firearms began later.
Indeed, the first examples of this instruments actual use of these instruments are dated in the middle of
the 1360s. However, the reception and effective use of these weapons are two phenomena synchronous
to the expansion of the artillery detonated with gunpowder and, in fact, as in the first case, its expansion
took place, in its initial phase, around the control and the defense of fortifications. On the other hand,
and beyond the technical level, it should also be noted that the manufacture and the commercialization
of firearms was strongly directed from power, as it was the lord who had the authority to grant licenses
of production of this type of armament.
Keywords: Medieval History, Military History, Visconti, Weapons, Firearms.

Volume stampato con il contributo del progetto PRIN 2010 "Storia e Archeologia dei paesaggi rurali in Italia fra tardo antico e medioevo. Sistemi integrati di fonti, metodi e tecnologie per uno sviluppo sostenibile"responsabile scientifico nazionale Giuliano Volpe, responsabile scientifico di UR bolognese Paola Galetti.
Il contributo Favia-Giuliani affronta il tema delle nuove fondazioni (città-castra-casali) nella Puglia settentrionale medievali